SHIP'S LOG:
Yes, there really is. He gave me a free night in the marina and Mrs. Claus gave me two bottles of wine. On top of the plate of Christmas Cookies, it was a pretty good haul.
Yesterday, it was bleeding cold again. Somehow, ice covering a dock in Florida in wrong. It is just wrong. Today however, the warmth started to sneak in and with no wind, it was time to make a dash south, for as we all know, good harbors rot ships and men.
It was a short 20 mile dash to Melbourne, the home - for all you motorcyclists of Bill Lane - and I am sure known for many other things none of which I can now recall. The trip was boring, especially after the start when I went aground in the MARINA! They have a bit of a shoaling problem at the entrance to their basin and I kissed it on the way in. I made a big wide turn on the way out and went aground on another shoal. This can't be good for business. It took a little effort but after about 10 minutes I got off and underway. It would have been major league embarrassing to have to call Towboat/US to haul me off in a marina!
Do you know that dolphins have bad breathe? I supposed that fish do too but who would know. Dolphins, on the other hand, as air breathing mammals, expel their breath into the air just as we do. They do it out of the blow hole on the top of their heads and when they do it right next to your boat . . .. UGH, the stink is incredible. SCOPE! LISTERINE! SOMETHING! ANYTHING!
The terns were playing dodge the boat again today. They games involves a game of follow the leader as they line up along one side and then dart in front of the boat and letting out a squawk. They they shift to come in from the front and dart across the bow and squawk. This was the third time this has happened and it is really weird. Thankfully they don't keep it up for long.
I am the only boat tonight anchored off Melbourne in the Indian River. I've got the whole place to myself. I am not sure what to do with it.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Well, We Didn't Get The Snow, But . . . . . .
S H I P' S L O G :
It didn't snow in Cocoa Beach but the wind sure did blow. I was hoping, indeed expecting that the front passing through Saturday night/Sunday would blow itself out and more "normal" winds would present themselves today. Well, the chances of that were slim and none and slim left town.
I got up this morning and walked down the dock to the sauna & showers and there, right there on the dock by a faucet was a puddle of ice and an icicle hanging all the way down to the water! I am not sure exactly how cold it got here last night but it had to be in the 20's. And the wind, it keep howling all night. Of course, it was blowing through the masts and rigging of all the boats in the marina and produced some incredible noise. It almost sounded like a crew of "foley men"( people who produce sound effects for movies and TV shows) hard at work, working over time no less.
When I got back and had breakfast, I kept listening to the weather and looking at the water and the wind. I was in a marina slip. To get out I would have to back out into a fairway about forty feet wide. ABISHAG is 39 feet, 41 with the dinghy on the stern, and the wind was coming right down the fairway. It was a steady 25-30 with gusts still to 40. No sailboat backs up well and ABISHAG perhaps a little less well than most. And at 11 tons, once she gets moving, that's a lot of kinetic energy underway. In little or now wind, it wouldn't be terribly difficult, even for me who has not had a lot of practice pulling off this particular maneuver, but in the wind we had today, there was not way I could pull it off. Indeed, a couple from Canada( the one's whose daughters made the Christmas Cookies) were going to leave today but also postponed because of the wind. The fact that it was also bitterly cold again helped make that decision.
So Melbourne will have to wait a day. The wind has now died down and, while it is still cold and getting colder, tomorrow the temp is "supposed" to get up into the high 50's and the wind is "supposed" to be no more than 10. My finances have taken a bit of a beating but perhaps I win Powerball or Megabucks, though I haven't bought a ticket.
In any event, It will be Melbourne tomorrow, Vero Beach the day after and Fort Pierce after than. NOAA promises that by Wednesday the weather will settle back into the seasonal mode with temps in the 70's. While I'll believe that when I "feel it," it does give me hope. Of course, I would be more hopeful if the NOAA weather reports stopped talking about how to recognize the signs of frostbite and how best and carefully to use space heaters. They seem a bit inconsistent. Me, I think I'll sleep in the sauna . . . . .if there is room.
It didn't snow in Cocoa Beach but the wind sure did blow. I was hoping, indeed expecting that the front passing through Saturday night/Sunday would blow itself out and more "normal" winds would present themselves today. Well, the chances of that were slim and none and slim left town.
I got up this morning and walked down the dock to the sauna & showers and there, right there on the dock by a faucet was a puddle of ice and an icicle hanging all the way down to the water! I am not sure exactly how cold it got here last night but it had to be in the 20's. And the wind, it keep howling all night. Of course, it was blowing through the masts and rigging of all the boats in the marina and produced some incredible noise. It almost sounded like a crew of "foley men"( people who produce sound effects for movies and TV shows) hard at work, working over time no less.
When I got back and had breakfast, I kept listening to the weather and looking at the water and the wind. I was in a marina slip. To get out I would have to back out into a fairway about forty feet wide. ABISHAG is 39 feet, 41 with the dinghy on the stern, and the wind was coming right down the fairway. It was a steady 25-30 with gusts still to 40. No sailboat backs up well and ABISHAG perhaps a little less well than most. And at 11 tons, once she gets moving, that's a lot of kinetic energy underway. In little or now wind, it wouldn't be terribly difficult, even for me who has not had a lot of practice pulling off this particular maneuver, but in the wind we had today, there was not way I could pull it off. Indeed, a couple from Canada( the one's whose daughters made the Christmas Cookies) were going to leave today but also postponed because of the wind. The fact that it was also bitterly cold again helped make that decision.
So Melbourne will have to wait a day. The wind has now died down and, while it is still cold and getting colder, tomorrow the temp is "supposed" to get up into the high 50's and the wind is "supposed" to be no more than 10. My finances have taken a bit of a beating but perhaps I win Powerball or Megabucks, though I haven't bought a ticket.
In any event, It will be Melbourne tomorrow, Vero Beach the day after and Fort Pierce after than. NOAA promises that by Wednesday the weather will settle back into the seasonal mode with temps in the 70's. While I'll believe that when I "feel it," it does give me hope. Of course, I would be more hopeful if the NOAA weather reports stopped talking about how to recognize the signs of frostbite and how best and carefully to use space heaters. They seem a bit inconsistent. Me, I think I'll sleep in the sauna . . . . .if there is room.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
...Two Turtle Doves, And A Partrige In A Pear Tree!
SHIP' S LOG:
Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that you got spend it with family and friends. I was far from home but got a surprise gift . . . . a plate of Christmas Cookies baked by the daughters of a Canadian couple on a near by boat. I had never met them before and probably won't meet them again after tomorrow, but I have their email address so we will keep in touch.
I am currently in the Coca Village Marina, the same place I had all the fun with the wind a few days ago. I ducked in here because of the front hat is passing through today. Cold with winds in the 30's and gusts to 40 which is gale force. Granted it is nothing like what the people along the northern part of the Eastern Seaboard are experiencing but it is bad enough. At least I won't have to do any shoveling . . . I hope! It is a real change from the last week when the weather was warmer but with some rather brisk winds. The front will bring cold weather AGAIN with high in but the low 50's and the lows in the low 30's, perhaps even lower. However, from all the weather sources I have consulted, it will warm up seriously by mid week and I hope to be in Fort Pierce by then.
I'll be heading to Melbourne tomorrow and possibly Vero Beach the day after. I might spend the night on Tuesday at an ICW legendary stopover, Jone's Fruit Dock, where you can dock for $10 and they no longer sell fruit. Mr. Jones evidently just likes company stopping by.
I will also be passing by Dragon Point. There used to be a large sculpture on the shoreline, crafted by some local artist from various bits of marine detritus but it collapsed a couple of years ago and no one has gotten around to repairing, rebuilding or replacing it. It is really too bad because it was one of those places I was really looking forward to seeing but now it is gone. Something like the Old Man of the Mountains in New Hampshire. At least with the Dragon, it wouldn't take much to put it back in place, just a little time, a little effort and a little money.
When I get to fort Pierce, I'll probably hang for a bit, especially if the weather warms up. I have been traveling since the 3rd of October, moving almost every day and it is getting a bit tiresome. It can be a bit of a drag to haul up the hook and move every day. It will be good to "put down some roots" even if it is just for a short while. I would really like to get down to the Keys but Key West is still a rather long ways away. If the "Florida Weather" finally shows up though, it will be a more relaxing trip.
I really find it amazing how many people make this trip down the ICW and how many do it year in and year out. I suppose that if you live on your boat full-time, it makes a little more sense to go where the warm weather is but there are also a lot of people like me for whom this is the first time and that is really surprising. In many ways, it is not really much like I thought it was going to be. It is different but still a great journey. I have learned an awful lot and expect to learn even more. Some of the things that I worried about at the beginning really don't bother me that much any more. I have dropped hooks in spots I wouldn't have even ventured into before and gone to sleep trusting that the anchor and chain and the 5/8 inch anchor rode will hold ABISAHG where she is supposed to be. Now I climb into bed and let God watch over things. I'll admit that a couple of times I have stayed up and watched with him, but mostly God is the one who takes care of it all. When things break, they get repaired. When decisions need to be made they are made. On a trip like this, you develop a rather special perspective and outlook. when something needs doing, you just do it. If it works fine. If it doesn't, well you do something else. You learn to just deal with whatever comes along and you don't sweat the small stuff. And after awhile, you learn that all the stuff is small stuff.
Well, enjoy the other 10 days of Christmas and enjoy the snow. I'll bet it is beautiful.
Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that you got spend it with family and friends. I was far from home but got a surprise gift . . . . a plate of Christmas Cookies baked by the daughters of a Canadian couple on a near by boat. I had never met them before and probably won't meet them again after tomorrow, but I have their email address so we will keep in touch.
I am currently in the Coca Village Marina, the same place I had all the fun with the wind a few days ago. I ducked in here because of the front hat is passing through today. Cold with winds in the 30's and gusts to 40 which is gale force. Granted it is nothing like what the people along the northern part of the Eastern Seaboard are experiencing but it is bad enough. At least I won't have to do any shoveling . . . I hope! It is a real change from the last week when the weather was warmer but with some rather brisk winds. The front will bring cold weather AGAIN with high in but the low 50's and the lows in the low 30's, perhaps even lower. However, from all the weather sources I have consulted, it will warm up seriously by mid week and I hope to be in Fort Pierce by then.
I'll be heading to Melbourne tomorrow and possibly Vero Beach the day after. I might spend the night on Tuesday at an ICW legendary stopover, Jone's Fruit Dock, where you can dock for $10 and they no longer sell fruit. Mr. Jones evidently just likes company stopping by.
I will also be passing by Dragon Point. There used to be a large sculpture on the shoreline, crafted by some local artist from various bits of marine detritus but it collapsed a couple of years ago and no one has gotten around to repairing, rebuilding or replacing it. It is really too bad because it was one of those places I was really looking forward to seeing but now it is gone. Something like the Old Man of the Mountains in New Hampshire. At least with the Dragon, it wouldn't take much to put it back in place, just a little time, a little effort and a little money.
When I get to fort Pierce, I'll probably hang for a bit, especially if the weather warms up. I have been traveling since the 3rd of October, moving almost every day and it is getting a bit tiresome. It can be a bit of a drag to haul up the hook and move every day. It will be good to "put down some roots" even if it is just for a short while. I would really like to get down to the Keys but Key West is still a rather long ways away. If the "Florida Weather" finally shows up though, it will be a more relaxing trip.
I really find it amazing how many people make this trip down the ICW and how many do it year in and year out. I suppose that if you live on your boat full-time, it makes a little more sense to go where the warm weather is but there are also a lot of people like me for whom this is the first time and that is really surprising. In many ways, it is not really much like I thought it was going to be. It is different but still a great journey. I have learned an awful lot and expect to learn even more. Some of the things that I worried about at the beginning really don't bother me that much any more. I have dropped hooks in spots I wouldn't have even ventured into before and gone to sleep trusting that the anchor and chain and the 5/8 inch anchor rode will hold ABISAHG where she is supposed to be. Now I climb into bed and let God watch over things. I'll admit that a couple of times I have stayed up and watched with him, but mostly God is the one who takes care of it all. When things break, they get repaired. When decisions need to be made they are made. On a trip like this, you develop a rather special perspective and outlook. when something needs doing, you just do it. If it works fine. If it doesn't, well you do something else. You learn to just deal with whatever comes along and you don't sweat the small stuff. And after awhile, you learn that all the stuff is small stuff.
Well, enjoy the other 10 days of Christmas and enjoy the snow. I'll bet it is beautiful.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas Winds
SHIP' LOG:
Every December the islands of the Caribbean experience a phenomenon known as the "Christmas Winds." They are usually a steady 20 knots and they make sailing in the Caribbean an exciting time during the winter. Well, Florida got its share of the Caribbean Winds today. It went from dead calm to 25 in a heart beat and has been gusting to 30 on occasion. It made the trip from Titusville to Coca Beach fast . . .and exiting.
I had the need to put into a marina for a pump out and the only one on the way was Coca Village Marina. The wind helped me get in but it almost prevented me from getting out. It was right on the stern and I had the choice of spending the night getting pounded by waves against the stern or trying to get out and then through the bridge and into an "semi protected" anchorage.
I opted out. Getting pounded by waves, tied to a dock, is a sure way to have something break and I couldn't afford that financially or mentally. I have to give a lot of credit to the staff at the marina for making what could have been a really dangerous maneuver go smoothly and without a hitch . . . save for the bag of ice I paid for but forgot to pick up and take with me.
Even in the protected anchorage, with the Canaveral Barge Canal and Causeway acting as a buffer, the anchorage is still getting hammered pretty well. The water is shallow and the wind is right down the Indian River out of the north so it brews up a really nasty chop. This is the promised "cold front" - the small one that will be followed by the "Large one" Christmas Night. I am trying to decide if I got into a marina for that or stay on the hook. If I go into a marina, it will have to be for two(2) night as I doubt there will be anyone working on Christmas. Staying on the has the advantage of being less expensive but perhaps less protected. I will have to make the call tomorrow for as I said I doubt that anyone will be working Christmas.
Lots of dead fish in the water down here because of the cold. Just a few degrees drop in temperature in the water is all that it takes. Some places are a little "ripe" where the fish have all washed in to the same spot.
At the Coca Village Marina, I ran into Rick Manning. He was the guy whose catmaran went aground up in Jekyll Creek by the Jekyll Creek Marina. Luckily he had no damage and is continuing on down the ICW.
The early weather report for next week is clear, but colder. Highs in the highs 50's lows in the mid 30's. Obviously here is not the place to be and so I will move farther south. I will find the sun and the heat . . . . soon I hope.
Every December the islands of the Caribbean experience a phenomenon known as the "Christmas Winds." They are usually a steady 20 knots and they make sailing in the Caribbean an exciting time during the winter. Well, Florida got its share of the Caribbean Winds today. It went from dead calm to 25 in a heart beat and has been gusting to 30 on occasion. It made the trip from Titusville to Coca Beach fast . . .and exiting.
I had the need to put into a marina for a pump out and the only one on the way was Coca Village Marina. The wind helped me get in but it almost prevented me from getting out. It was right on the stern and I had the choice of spending the night getting pounded by waves against the stern or trying to get out and then through the bridge and into an "semi protected" anchorage.
I opted out. Getting pounded by waves, tied to a dock, is a sure way to have something break and I couldn't afford that financially or mentally. I have to give a lot of credit to the staff at the marina for making what could have been a really dangerous maneuver go smoothly and without a hitch . . . save for the bag of ice I paid for but forgot to pick up and take with me.
Even in the protected anchorage, with the Canaveral Barge Canal and Causeway acting as a buffer, the anchorage is still getting hammered pretty well. The water is shallow and the wind is right down the Indian River out of the north so it brews up a really nasty chop. This is the promised "cold front" - the small one that will be followed by the "Large one" Christmas Night. I am trying to decide if I got into a marina for that or stay on the hook. If I go into a marina, it will have to be for two(2) night as I doubt there will be anyone working on Christmas. Staying on the has the advantage of being less expensive but perhaps less protected. I will have to make the call tomorrow for as I said I doubt that anyone will be working Christmas.
Lots of dead fish in the water down here because of the cold. Just a few degrees drop in temperature in the water is all that it takes. Some places are a little "ripe" where the fish have all washed in to the same spot.
At the Coca Village Marina, I ran into Rick Manning. He was the guy whose catmaran went aground up in Jekyll Creek by the Jekyll Creek Marina. Luckily he had no damage and is continuing on down the ICW.
The early weather report for next week is clear, but colder. Highs in the highs 50's lows in the mid 30's. Obviously here is not the place to be and so I will move farther south. I will find the sun and the heat . . . . soon I hope.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The Sun Shines Bright In T itusville!
SHIP'S LOG:
It was too nice a day to go any where so I didn't. The temp was in the mid 70's though the wind picked up in the afternoon to cool things down. There basically wasn't a cloud in the sky and the humidity was low. It was a beautiful summer day!
I opened every port and hatch and really gave the boat a good airing. I re-repair the hinge on the hatch for the windlass. I used bigger screws this time! I plotted the course for the next time I decide to move which will have to be in 15 days if they enforce the local ordinances. I read. I napped. I just enjoyed the day. I watched several boats hurry past on their way south. I hope they get where they are going safe and sound. Me, I am where I am going wherever I am. It's more relaxing that way.
It was too nice a day to go any where so I didn't. The temp was in the mid 70's though the wind picked up in the afternoon to cool things down. There basically wasn't a cloud in the sky and the humidity was low. It was a beautiful summer day!
I opened every port and hatch and really gave the boat a good airing. I re-repair the hinge on the hatch for the windlass. I used bigger screws this time! I plotted the course for the next time I decide to move which will have to be in 15 days if they enforce the local ordinances. I read. I napped. I just enjoyed the day. I watched several boats hurry past on their way south. I hope they get where they are going safe and sound. Me, I am where I am going wherever I am. It's more relaxing that way.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Mosquito Lagoon - What A Lovely Name!
SHIP'S LOG:
If the water had been deeper, this would have been one hell of a boring day. There were several straight runs on a few miles apiece in which I could not turn off course. In addition, especially going through the Mosquito Lagoon, there was nothing to look at except water. At least in other places there was scenery but here there was none. And like I said, if the water had been deep, it would have been boring.
As it was, it was a day of tension and anxiety. The ICW Channel was narrow and the water was shallow and I literally spent the day staring at my depth sounder. It bounced around like I don't know what but it would jump a couple of feet up or down with seeming randomness. I had to helm the boat with one hand as the other rode the throttle the whole time. More than a dozen times I had to back of the throttle and slow way down, even stop sometimes, to figure out just where the water was. Often chartplotter and depthspounder and visual observation were all contradicting one another. It wasn't boring and it wasn't relaxing. Thank God it wasn't cold and it wasn't raining. It was a nasty stretch of water. To make matters worse, local fishermen "needed" to set up shop right in the middle of the channel. The seemed to take great offense at my passing. I was followed most of the way down to Titusville by a tug pushing a barge. There was no place for him to pass and no way for me to let him get by. He was not a happy tugboat captain.
The Haulover Canal which connects Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River was pretty decent and much like the canal in North Carolina. Cut through rock it was deep and decently wide but a moments lack of attention and even TowBoat US couldn't help you.
As you are coming down the Lagoon, you can see the Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Canaveral. Florida is pretty flat and this is one big building. I anchor south of the Titusville Swing Bridge and can see the build very clearly. The closer you get the bigger it gets.
The weather was quite nice today though i didn't really appreciate it until after I dropped the hook and had some wine. It must have been in the mid 70's and at 6pm it is still in the mid 60's. I really have no idea where to go next. I will leave that to the morning when I sit with coffee to plot out the next run. Who knows, I may just work on my tan for a day.
If the water had been deeper, this would have been one hell of a boring day. There were several straight runs on a few miles apiece in which I could not turn off course. In addition, especially going through the Mosquito Lagoon, there was nothing to look at except water. At least in other places there was scenery but here there was none. And like I said, if the water had been deep, it would have been boring.
As it was, it was a day of tension and anxiety. The ICW Channel was narrow and the water was shallow and I literally spent the day staring at my depth sounder. It bounced around like I don't know what but it would jump a couple of feet up or down with seeming randomness. I had to helm the boat with one hand as the other rode the throttle the whole time. More than a dozen times I had to back of the throttle and slow way down, even stop sometimes, to figure out just where the water was. Often chartplotter and depthspounder and visual observation were all contradicting one another. It wasn't boring and it wasn't relaxing. Thank God it wasn't cold and it wasn't raining. It was a nasty stretch of water. To make matters worse, local fishermen "needed" to set up shop right in the middle of the channel. The seemed to take great offense at my passing. I was followed most of the way down to Titusville by a tug pushing a barge. There was no place for him to pass and no way for me to let him get by. He was not a happy tugboat captain.
The Haulover Canal which connects Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River was pretty decent and much like the canal in North Carolina. Cut through rock it was deep and decently wide but a moments lack of attention and even TowBoat US couldn't help you.
As you are coming down the Lagoon, you can see the Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Canaveral. Florida is pretty flat and this is one big building. I anchor south of the Titusville Swing Bridge and can see the build very clearly. The closer you get the bigger it gets.
The weather was quite nice today though i didn't really appreciate it until after I dropped the hook and had some wine. It must have been in the mid 70's and at 6pm it is still in the mid 60's. I really have no idea where to go next. I will leave that to the morning when I sit with coffee to plot out the next run. Who knows, I may just work on my tan for a day.
Monday, December 20, 2010
New Smyrna? where's Old Smyrna?
SHIP'S LOG:
In case you might be wondering, an "un-grounding" costs$850 between Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach. Yup, I did it again! But it really wasn't my fault. I was dead center between two marks and I went up on a bar and had to call the guys in the red boat . . . again! To make matters worse, the channel had been dredged less than a year ago and already it is half shoaled in. It goes in my book as a place to watch on the way back in the Spring. Talking with the Towboat US operator he noted that they average at least one sailboat a day at that very spot. I wouldn't feel so bad if I had been out of the channel, but right in the middle!!!! You would think they would mark it better. I may have to get a subscription to SEATOW for the trip back as TowboatUS probably has my name on a list of some kind somewhere, though I would think that I now know where I have to be extra careful and might not go aground at all on the trip back. Maybe it would be safer to go outside all the way back?
A couple of miles further on, the ICW goes right around Chicken Island and that stretch was also dredged within the last two years. And like the spot I hit, it already is shoaling in. Boaters avoid it like the plague. Luckily, the channel around the left side of Chicken Island is fairly wide and deep and that's the way I went. The thing is that the ICW channels, those cut between bays, rivers and lagoons are not natural and so good old Mother Nature tries to fill them in. For the Core of Engineers, it is a never ending battle and one that isn't a government priority in the dispersal of funding, state or federal. Strangely, what also contributes to the problem is people using the ICW. Tugs and barges create lots of turbulence and that sucks sill and mud and sand into the channel. Anyone in any size boat doing over 10 knots creates enough of a disturbance to do the same.
I have been following Skipper Bob's Publication on the ICW and for the most part it has been very helpful. However, it needs serious up dating. Many of the places that he recommends as anchorages have been taken over by the locals with their mooring or have silted in such that they are not usable. That was the case here in New Smyrna Beach. New docks, new mooring and shoals have made it difficult to find a spot to drop a free hook, so I found a cheap Marina, the New Smyrna Beach City Marina . . .$1/foot! and all the amenities. Ah Hot showers and warm toilet seats.
Tomorrow is a long haul through Mosquito Lagoon and the Haulover Canal and on into Titusville. The weather will be nice and clear with a high in the mid - 60's. But don't despair, there is a cold front coming on Wednesday but it will clear out immediately . . . . to make room for a bigger and badder and colder cold front on Christmas Day. Of course it is just the type of weather Santa likes what with all that fur he wears. Why couldn't the man wear Bermuda Shorts?
In case you might be wondering, an "un-grounding" costs$850 between Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach. Yup, I did it again! But it really wasn't my fault. I was dead center between two marks and I went up on a bar and had to call the guys in the red boat . . . again! To make matters worse, the channel had been dredged less than a year ago and already it is half shoaled in. It goes in my book as a place to watch on the way back in the Spring. Talking with the Towboat US operator he noted that they average at least one sailboat a day at that very spot. I wouldn't feel so bad if I had been out of the channel, but right in the middle!!!! You would think they would mark it better. I may have to get a subscription to SEATOW for the trip back as TowboatUS probably has my name on a list of some kind somewhere, though I would think that I now know where I have to be extra careful and might not go aground at all on the trip back. Maybe it would be safer to go outside all the way back?
A couple of miles further on, the ICW goes right around Chicken Island and that stretch was also dredged within the last two years. And like the spot I hit, it already is shoaling in. Boaters avoid it like the plague. Luckily, the channel around the left side of Chicken Island is fairly wide and deep and that's the way I went. The thing is that the ICW channels, those cut between bays, rivers and lagoons are not natural and so good old Mother Nature tries to fill them in. For the Core of Engineers, it is a never ending battle and one that isn't a government priority in the dispersal of funding, state or federal. Strangely, what also contributes to the problem is people using the ICW. Tugs and barges create lots of turbulence and that sucks sill and mud and sand into the channel. Anyone in any size boat doing over 10 knots creates enough of a disturbance to do the same.
I have been following Skipper Bob's Publication on the ICW and for the most part it has been very helpful. However, it needs serious up dating. Many of the places that he recommends as anchorages have been taken over by the locals with their mooring or have silted in such that they are not usable. That was the case here in New Smyrna Beach. New docks, new mooring and shoals have made it difficult to find a spot to drop a free hook, so I found a cheap Marina, the New Smyrna Beach City Marina . . .$1/foot! and all the amenities. Ah Hot showers and warm toilet seats.
Tomorrow is a long haul through Mosquito Lagoon and the Haulover Canal and on into Titusville. The weather will be nice and clear with a high in the mid - 60's. But don't despair, there is a cold front coming on Wednesday but it will clear out immediately . . . . to make room for a bigger and badder and colder cold front on Christmas Day. Of course it is just the type of weather Santa likes what with all that fur he wears. Why couldn't the man wear Bermuda Shorts?
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